Bachmann camp speaks on controversial Newsweek cover

The Michele Bachmann campaign tells NBC News that the candidate is not interested in getting into a conversation over the controversial Newsweek cover photo of its candidate.

The campaign says Bachmann is focused on the Ames Straw Poll, and with meeting the voters of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

That said, a source points out that the photo that was featured on the cover of Newsweek came from a lighting test conducted during the photo shoot -- which took place in Washington, DC during the time when the congresswoman was home voting on the debt-ceiling bill.

The source tells NBC News that Newsweek shared photos from the shoot with the campaign. The campaign indicated its preference. But the photo that Newsweek ultimately used on the cover was NOT among those preferred choices.